Grey Method of Selecting a Contractor in the UN Public Procurement

Purpose: The article proposes a new method for selecting a contractor in United Nations public procurement. Approach: This method is based on the use of the grey number decision model. Findings: The presented model, which belongs to the grey systems theory, enables to combine quantitative and qualitative criteria in the assessment of the contractors. Practical Implications: The method is particularly applicable in case of the presence of subjective features among the evaluation criteria which are difficult to express on a quantitative scale. An example of its use may be the so-called green public procurement, in which, apart from the quantitative criteria, such as price, there are qualitative criteria related, for example, to the impact of the offer on the social and ecological environment. The first section of the article presents the basics issues related to public procurement. In the second section, the essence of the grey systems theory is described. The third part of the article presents the structure and procedure in the grey method of selecting a contractor in public procurement on the example of the United Nations. Value: Finally, the developed method as presented on the selected case study can be a guide for future cases.